Every week we aim to re home an animal currently being cared for by an animal refuge on the island. The project is supported by professional photographers from around the island, the PR firm Phoenix Media, and The Majorca Daily Bulletin.

Category: cats and kittens in mallorca

by VM

It’s Springtime in Majorca. That means blossom, and pollen, and sunshine and blue skies, Easter and … kittens, plenty of kittens. It means kittens born to street cats and family cats that often end up being dumped in the bin. So please, you must keep an eye, and an ear, on the public bins, and random boxes left in car parks or on the side of the road.

If you find some newly born kittens what should you do? Have they been dumped or are they street cats whose mother has gone off to get some food? Here’s some advice from an experienced cat rescuer, Cati Salva.

“If you see kittens inside a box next to a rubbish bin it’s clear that they have been abandoned. It is not so clear if you find them somewhere odd (a plant pot, or in the middle of the street). In this case I advise people to do this:
1) Don’t ever touch them. It could happen that the mum is moving them from one place to another and if they catch your scent some mother cats will reject their babies.
2) Watch from a distance. Stay around somewhere where you can see the kittens but are not scaring the mum in case she comes back for her kittens.
3) If you don’t see any adult cat around in about 30 minutes to an hour (depending on how busy the area is) then yes, you may go ahead and take them because the mum is most likely not coming back for them. Something might have happened or not, but a baby cat can’t stay for long without the warmth of its mother.

“If you take them home you have to keep them separate from your other cats if you happen to have any. This is extremely important. Even if they seem healthy they could have a stomach bug or some other ailments and you need to protect both your own animals and the babies.

“Things vary from caring for a four month old kitten or a new born. The older kittens will have wide open eyes, sharp teeth and be quite mobile creatures. They will most likely be eating by themselves. You can soak some dry cat biscuits in water and see if they will eat. Younger kittens need to be bottle fed. Their eyes will be open at 15 days of age but they won’t be able to move around very easily. If you are unsure as to the age of the kittens then take a visit to a vet to make sure.

“If you are bottle feeding kittens the most important thing is to keep them warm. Until they are a bit older they can’t control their body temperature so they have to have blankets. I usually use one of those electrical pillows on a low setting to keep them warm enough (be sure you’re not burning them of course!). Make sure the electrical cable is tucked away and put a cloth on top of the device to avoid warm plastic on their skin.

“Another very important thing is: no, cats can’t drink cows’ milk! Not even lactose free cows’ milk. They have to have special cat milk which can be bought at the vets and most pet shops. There are a lot of brands and it doesn’t matter which one you chose as long as you don’t change it once you have started. Baby stomachs are quite delicate and sudden feeding changes may cause diarrhoea and subsequent dehydration.

“To feed them, prepare the formula as indicated and use a baby cat bottle. Some cats don’t latch on to bottles at first, so you have to be persistent and patient. Sometimes they can’t get the milk out, so you may squeeze the tip a bit (or make the hole slightly bigger) so they get to taste one or two drops and get motivated to suck themselves. Some other cats don’t like bottles and people feed them with small (needle free) syringes, but this is dangerous as you could accidentally place milk into their lungs. They should never be placed belly up like human babies It is ideal if they can eat on their paws in a hard surface (you can put a blanket in between). Just think about how the kittens would feed from their mums: that’s the ideal position. After their meal the babies need to be stimulated to urinate and defecate. If they were with mum then she would usually lick their bottoms. You don’t have to do that! Instead you could use a piece of wet, mildly warm gauze and wipe the area.

“You should expect them to be hungry every 2 to 3 hours at first. Yes, it’s just like having a human baby and can be super tiring work. You can try to make the “night feeds” a bit more substantial by making a slightly thicker formula, but don’t overdo it. The kittens may need bottle feeding up until around six weeks of age. Sometimes they eat at four weeks, but some others don’t. Some vets advise to give the kittens chamomile between feeds and others tell you to prepare the formula with chamomile instead of water. That is completely up to you.

“If you can’t be in charge of the feedings because you work, ask your local vet if they know of anyone that could. They can’t take them into shelters because most of them are not open 24 hours a day, but sometimes they know volunteers that can take them home”.

Every week Pet Project tries to help an animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at http://www.petprojectmallorca.com.

by VM

The dreaded processionary caterpillars are already hatching! One conscientious pet owner came into CalviaVet last week asking for advice on how to protect her cats from the perils of the hairy pests.

“I know someone whose dog had to have half its tongue removed after it ate a processinary catepillar,” she explained, “so I thought I should come in and get advice directly I saw the first one in my garden.

“The catepillars are particularly dangerous for dogs because they are more likely to try and eat them than cats are,” Dr. Juan Fernandez agreed, “but they can also cause serious skin problems for cats. Although there are pills that can be given after a pet has encountered a processionary catepillar, these take time to work. Some animals can experience serious allergic reactions, so it’s important to call immediately you see your pet has been affected, and then it can receive an intravenous injection of cortisone as quickly as possible.”

Another increased danger for some pets caused by our mild weather, is mosquitoes. These carry the devastating disease of Leishmania which annually infects hundreds of Majorcan dogs.

“Leishmania is hardly known of in Northern Europe, so many expatriates don’t realise that they need to protect their dog,” Dr. Anna Pink of CalviaVet confirmed. “It is a tropical disease spread by the tiny sand fly mosquito and works in a similar way to an autoimmune disease. It can affect all the organs of the body, but is often first picked up from skin eruptions or fast growing nails. Like malaria, it can lie dormant within an animal for a time before recurring in flare-ups.

“It’s impossible to over-stress how important it is to protect dogs from Leishmania; ironically everyone is aware that their pet should have an annual rabies vaccination, even though the island is rabies-free, but many don’t know Leishmania exists, yet it is common throughout the island,” Dr. Pink said.

Other pet diseases spread by mosquitos include Heartworm, but this is rare on the island and to date the only reported cases have been in the North. Ticks can infect animals with Anaplasmosis which causes blood clotting problems and joint pain, but this is curable with a special antibiotic.

Our unusual weather this winter has also caused the flea population to continue breeding. “Our sales of products which rid your pet and home of fleas are usually far less after November … but not this year!” Dr Pink commented.

While we may all be enjoying the clear blue skies and balmy temperatures, this long Indian summer means we need to be abnormally vigilant that our furry friends don’t fall foul of a non-dormant insect population. It is the time of year when many pet owners love rambling through the woods and mountains of our beautiful island, but we already need to keep an eye out for catepillars and take precautions against mosquitos to keep them safe. (Thanks to Calvia Vet for their report).

DULCE BY NAME, DULCE BY NATURE

Dulce rushed up with 3 other wagging dogs to say hello to the visitors who wiggled their fingers through the fencing of their kennel, but as the other dogs raced away to sniff a new diversion, Dulce stayed and continued wagging at them. It was a clear invitation to come on in and say hello.

Dulce loves to be stroked and cuddled, but above all else she wants to be noticed, something that rarely happens to this truly deserving dog. Perhaps that´s because Dulce is now 8 years old, greying slightly at the muzzle and weighing in at around 25 kg. She waddles a little – it´s quite funny – but she is surprisingly agile, still able to jump onto a high wall to soak up the sun´s winter rays.

Dulce has remained un-noticed at the SPAP shelter for around 6 years. People walk past her looking for younger or smaller models, failing to spot that Dulce will make a super, loving companion dog. She´ll be attentive, happy to sit by your side or go out on walks, and she gets on well with children and other dogs.

Pop down to SPAP and ask to visit Dulce. You can take your time to get to know her, to notice those gentle brown eyes, to rub your hands through her thick coat and give her a tummy rub. She loves that. Dulce is the type of dog who will repay your kindness with years of devotion, if you would just adopt her.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-house a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at www.petprojectmallorca.com All offers of help gratefully received!

by petprojectmallorca

Following our mention about the puppies that were born in a storm from last week’s PP, here are some more photos by popular demand! They are a GSD cross and were born in November 2014, so they are now ready to go to good homes via the association Dogs For U. Peanut is the smallest one of the litter a right little cutie full of fun. Storm is the eldest born first. Gina loves to crawl up on your lap for a cuddle. They are all gorgeous and full of fun. You can call Angie Cain on 633471509 for more information and to make an appointment to go and see the puppies.

URGENT HELP NEEDED
PP received this desperate plea from June, the founder of Arc. “Urgent help needed for one of the cats at the Mallorca Arc sanctuary – little Millie. She is around two years old and has gone into depression – she has stopped eating which is affecting her liver – even at the vet’s she is not making any progress – she has been put on a drip to try and help but she needs someone to take her in her arms and cuddle her constantly – she finds life with other cats very difficult and is definitely a people cat.

She needs a very special person to help her and give her the will to live. Please, please if you cannot help her please let other people know, we do not want to lose her and are desperate to find someone who can help her and give her the will to live again.”

We were then sent this update on Monday,

“Our little Millie is beginning to eat and is much more alert now. We have had a couple of enquiries about her but unfortunately from people with other pets. The vet has been trying to socialise her with a selection of different cats, even those still ‘under’ have been put into the room with her but her reaction to any cats has been to hiss and hide, retreating into a corner no matter what until the cat in question has been removed from her little room. Therefore, I am putting out an urgent call to everyone, if you cannot take her can you please share her story and pray that her new owner is out there just waiting to take her into their arms and give her the love and care she so desperately needs right now. THANK YOU” You can get in touch via junehaigh14@yahoo.com or visit www.arc-mallorca.org.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-home a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at http://www.petprojectmallorca.com.

by petprojectmallorca

In August Arc Animales received an email from an elderly couple in Pollensa who had a ‘kitten saturation’ situation and desperately need their help!

They had contacted both Pollensa and Alcudia rescue centres who said they were too full to take any.

It seems the couple had started feeding three female abandoned cats late last year. Then the inevitable happened – first lot of kittens were born on the 6th March and the second on the 31st March (on their terrace) then another litter was born in July somewhere on the finca. They had been feeding them all and got themselves into a situation where they could not cope, in particular financially: in all there were 23 cats and kittens.

In addition the couple were in the procees of selling their house and moving back to the UK but they were desperate that the cats and kittens find new homes and be safe.

There were three adult females (needing castration) 14 older kittens from the 1st and 31st of March (needing castration) (Four of which they would keep themselves)

6 young kittens which had only just started eating solid kitten food (castration will be needed later). This meant that there were three adult cats, nine older kittens of around 6 months and 6 young kittens that needed rehoming. It also meant there were sixteen cats that needed castrating immediately and seven would need castrating in a matter of months.

Arc Animales got in touch with Baldea (who were featured a couple of weeks ago in Pet Project) and working with Ana Aranda Lindsay it was arranged for the cats and older kittens to be castrated in the Baldea mobile vet unit.

17 cats and kittens have been castrated. It’s been a fantastic team effort between Baldea, Katzenzuflucht and Arc Animales.

Arc Animales are now looking for forever homes for the six little kittens – growing by the minute – that were too young to castrate. There are four little boys, Micah, Sima, Malin, Sujay and two girls, Pearl and Pippa. They are all between 8 and 12 weeks old.

Malin

Micah

Pearl

Pippa

Sima

Sujay

Please spread the word about these kittens whose start in life was not the best but, with your help, their futures could be.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-house a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur writers and photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at www.petprojectmallorca.com If you want to help with this column or send information then please do to petprojectmallorca@gmail.com

by petprojectmallorca

Did you know that over 10,000 pets are abandoned in Majorca every year?

Did you know that thousands of kittens are born on the streets with a high risk of being cruelly poisoned or killed?

Did you know that hundreds of dogs live chained up as much as 23hrs a day with total indifference to the law from their owners?

It’s time to make a change!

This week we feature Baldea, an animal protection organisation which is changing lives every day in Majorca. Petra Manuela Steiner explained what Baldea is all about.

“Since Baldea relies 100% on donations, we rely on the public, on you. Baldea is working hard for animal rights aiming to give them a better life. It has the first spaying ambulance for abandoned animals in Spain. Our mobile unit travels all over Majorca with our team on board showing communities the benefits of sterilisation and how important it is. Over a hundred stray cats and dogs are spayed monthly in our Mobile Unit.

We are in continuous negotiation with all the Town Halls: working to get their permission to and cooperation so stray animals will be treated in the most respectful way.

“Baldea goes into schools in order to teach pupils how to treat their pets in an appropriate and respectful way: they are the future generation and they are the ones that can make a change happen. We give advice and help with all animal protection duties to associations, shelters and volunteers. And since 2010 Baldea has taken care of two big cat communities in a retirement home in Bona Nova, as an example to follow.

“Thanks to Baldea ,Palma now has an Animal Protection Police Brigade. This is the first one in the whole of Spain! In 2011 we took our first steps by instructing police officers in a 3 day course. It was a big success…now it’s our dream come true! Baldea is on local television and radio on a regular basis.Baldea are on television every Wednesday at 12am on IB3 radio show “La Mirada”. We have five phone lines which receive private calls. Over 5000 people contact us yearly and 3000 follow us on Facebook.

“Baldea doesn’t have any animal shelters. Every Christmas we run a campaign to deter people from giving puppies as presents, our message is seen on public buses, posters and bookmarks that are distributed all over the city. We have information points that are regularly set up in different places and events to reach the public.

“Baldea spends a lot time doing inspections: these involve a great amount of pressure as the situation we see them in is sometimes terrible. To attend mistreated animal should be part of the police duties but sometimes it doesn’t seem to work, hopefully the new brigade will make this change. We present our annual report to all the public, politicians, animal lovers and friends so everybody can witness all our effort and work. In 2007 we were awarded the ”Premio Rey Jaime by the President of Majorca.

“For only 50€ a year you can support Baldea. You will get a membership card and receive special treatment from several enterprises. You can find out more at www.baldea.org”.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or re-house a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at http://www.petprojectmallorca.com

by petprojectmallorca

By Vicki McLeod

This week in Pet Project we have undertaken a little cat rescuing of our own. Living underneath a container at the site of one of our clients’ business is this little cutie, and two of her siblings. We’re not sure of the sex of the other two cats as they are still quite timid, but this little girl is quite friendly. She seeks out cuddles and strokes, and has become so familiar with the people working around her that she was easily caught by Pet Project and taken to the good people at Calvia Vet in Santa Ponsa. Vet Anna Pink and her husband Juan treated the pussy cat, they declared that she was quite well although she has not as yet been tested for any viruses. She was spayed and then released back to where she came from. It is completely possible that this kitten, who Anna thinks is about three months old, could be adopted. She’s certainly got the loving streak in her and we think would fit in well once she had got used to her new family so if you are interested to give this sweet cat a home then get in touch by emailing petprojectmallorca@gmail.com or calling 649 090 886.

Every week Pet Project tries to help or rehome a homeless animal in Majorca. Pet Project is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin, the PR business Phoenix Media Mallorca and several professional and amateur photographers around the island. You can get in touch with Pet Project at http://www.petprojectmallorca.com.

by petprojectmallorca

I was hoping that this week’s Pet Project would be a story of cat adoption triumph. Last week these two little guys, who my family have raised by hand from birth, were due to be adopted permanently by another family in Majorca. At the very last minute they dropped out. This means that these two loving, friendly, hilarious balls of fun and fur are in desperate need of a new home. They are almost three months old. They could be apartment cats as they have yet to go outside, and they are litter tray trained. They love to play, and they love each other very much. This is why they should not be separated and they are up for adoption as a pair. They are available for adoption through Cat and Kitten Rescue Mallorca run by Elaine Gill and Nicky Morgan. A big part of the adoption is the undertaking that the adoptees will commit to having the cats castrated when the time comes, and this means that their operations are paid for up front and in advance: the adoptee then receives vouchers which can be redeemed with one of the vets who is participating in the scheme and the animals are castrated. The cost per cat is 55€, plus if possible a donation to the organisation which covers other vet bills, food, kitten milk etc which then enables them to continue to save more little furry lives. And, do you remember the kittens that were found abandoned in a bin? They are now ready for adoption as well. If you can help and seriously want to have some beautiful cats in your life then get in touch with Nicky on 699 532 267. You can also find the organisation on Facebook Cat-and-Kitten-Rescue-Mallorca.

About PP

Every week Pet Project aims to help to rehome an animal or to help and support a refuge or animal shelter here on the island. Pet Project is run by the PR firm Phoenix Media and is supported by the Majorca Daily Bulletin and some of the island’s best professional and amateur photographers. For more information or to get involved visit www.petprojectmallorca.com or like Pet Project on Facebook.

by petprojectmallorca

Well, kitten season is well and truly upon us. Sadly this year there have been many many reports of newly born kittens being found abandoned in rubbish bins. Of course, some of these poor little things are not going to survive, but volunteers all around the island are trying to bottle feed the ones who are found and this requires 24 hour care and commitment.

If you are able to volunteer to help raise some newly born kittens then you can get in touch with us at Pet Project and we can forward your offers on to the appropriate refuges. If you want to help but don’t think you can fulfil the demanding role of adoptive parent, then you can do that by donating kitten milk to the local refuges. Nicky at Cat and Kitten Rescue has made an appeal saying: “We urgently need kitten milk for these poor newborn kittens that are being handed in to us, These kittens need feeding every 2 hours day and night and we have kind people all over the island willing to help to bottlefeed but the milk that is needed is special kitten milk which is bought from vets and good pet stores, kittens cannot drink the same milk as we do. Is anyone willing to donate a box of kitten milk to feed these little ones and give them a chance of survival after such a horrendous start in life. Today we have rescued 19 kittens , all newborn, all now safely in the hands of people that can help them , but we need help to enable us to do this work, tomorrow and the coming weeks will be more kittens handed in. One box of milk will make all the difference, please donate and help.” You can do this by leaving kitten milk at the Salvation Army at Son Caliu or take it to your local refuges to be used there as well.

Also in this week’s Pet Project I would like to introduce to you another hard working cat lover, Tessy Myncke, who is championing the cause of the many, many cats which are left at refuges and never get homed.

“I thought it would be maybe interesting to dedicate this time in your section to cats that are waiting in the animal shelters a very long time for a chance to be adopted. It is so terrible and sad to see all these beautiful, handsome and sweet cats behind bars. Some of them for years and years…

Timothy

“Timothy is a beautiful boy that was left at the SPAP and is suffering so much, as he always has lived in a house. He deserves so much to be adopted by a good family.

Tessy with Tempel

Tempel is a beautiful girl living for almost a year in the shelter. Her little sister was adopted months ago so Tempel is now alone.

Dalton

This is Dalton, he’s such a sweet and lovely cat that people left in the street. He is now also in a “cage” in the SPAP waiting that somebody “put his eyes” on him and take him home. You can see the fear and desperation in his eyes.

Tessy with Amon

And this is AMON, the same sad story as almost all the cats living in cages. A marvellous “big boy” (around 7 kilos….) he has also been abandoned.

by petprojectmallorca

By Vicki McLeod

Sometimes you can think that the human race are just about the meanest bunch you will ever come across and that really the only friends you should try to cultivate are the four legged furry type, and then you meet someone like Nicky Morgan and the rest of the gang from the Cat and Kitten Rescue Group and you realise perhaps you’ll give Homo Sapiens a second chance. Despite busy and demanding work and personal lives the volunteers at Cat and Kitten give up a large chunk of their time to caring for abandoned felines in Majorca. And they do a great job.

I went to visit Nicky at her home in El Toro where she constantly has a batch of “babies”. Nicky is well known in the animal rescue circles as a “mummy” to tiny kittens and is skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to rearing by hand. Look in her cupboards and you will find stacks of veterinary and health supplies for her little charges. She has been known to take the kittens with her to work to make sure they are getting their scheduled feeds on time, and that also means around the clock, so there’s no slacking off even when it is 4am. “I was looking on the Natura Parc website when I saw these two little babies. They weren’t doing very well there, and I could see that they needed to be somewhere warm and dry so I went and got them, “said Nicky, indicating her two youngest house guests. “When they first arrived they were very frightened and wouldn’t come near me, but they soon settled in and now they are doing very well.” If you look closely at the photos you will see that one of them really does have a jumper on!

“Well, she was so poorly that she needed extra help to keep warm”. By the time of printing it’s quite likely that at least one of these lovely cats will have already been adopted but if you would like to contact Nicky about them or any of the other kittens that she is fostering then call: 699 532 267.

Nicky is supported by her local vet surgery in Clinica Veterinaria El Toro and she has nothing but the highest of praise for Asuncion Jaime Servera. “Together we always manage to sort out the babies,” she says, “they are so kind to me and the kittens there.” Of course fund raising is an important element for the group’s survival and they have received plenty of help from the Majorca Daily Bulletin agent Jaquie Buttle who sponsors the group’s marketing materials and posters. “Jaquie is brilliant,” said Nicky, “She’s done so much for us; she does all of our printing and laminating. We couldn’t do without her!”

If you would like to support the Cat and Kitten Rescue group there will be a Quiz night at Aroma in El Toro on February 15th There will be a raffle, food and fun. Get a group together with a minimum of three and a maximum of six per team. It’s 2.50€ per person to enter. If you are a Facebook user then please LIKE Pet Project Mallorca to keep up to date with news and you will find a link to the Cat and Kitten group there if you would like to volunteer to help them.

by petprojectmallorca

written by Vicki McLeod

Zoe

This is Zoe, she is a two year old Boxer/Ridegback cross. She is speyed and has all her vaccinations and passport details up to date. She loves people and other dogs, but not cats! She is lively but very easy to walk on and off the lead. Her owner has to go back to the UK and cannot take her with him, he is devastated that he has to give up his beloved dog (who was originally a rescue dog when he took her in). He is desperate to find a new home for Zoe. If you are interested to meet her then call Raymond on 674 750187.

Go for a stroll and raise some cash

There will be a Dogs For U ‘Walk in the Park’ at 11am on Sunday 26th January through El Bosque De Bellver, the beautiful parkland surrounding Bellver Castle in Palma. Enjoy an hour’s leisurely Sunday morning walk with your dog in the company of other canines and their like-minded owners, and raise money for DFU at the same time. A donation of 5€ from each attendee will make a world of difference for the dogs in their care who are still searching for their forever homes. You don’t have to bring a dog, but if you do, please have his pet passport or vaccination certificate with you as we may be asked to show them.
The group will be meeting at the park gates on Cami Francecs, Vidal I Sureda, Geneva. You can contact billiedogsforu@gmail.com or mobile: 656 448 102 for more information

All lived happily ever after

Now and again it’s nice to share a happy ending isn’t it? Perhaps readers of Pet Project will remember Lotte. She was put up for adoption this time last year when her owner passed away. She needed to be in a very particular type of home, where she could be the proverbial “Top Cat” and so it took some time to find her a home. But through the pages of the Majorca Daily Bulletin, and with a little bit of fortune on our side, she found her perfect match. Now Lotte is living very happily with her new adoring owner Christine. All’s well that ends well for both of them.

If you would like to help a homeless animal to find a permanent family or if you think you could open your doors to a new pet, then please get in touch. You can find us through www.petprojectmallorca.com or contact the different numbers directly, it’s up to you. Don’t be shy! Sometimes as well we understand that it won’t work out so animals are always offered on a trial basis at first.